


Christmas at Abel

by Urmion



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Presents, No Spoilers, no zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 17:07:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13392357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Urmion/pseuds/Urmion
Summary: here is a short fiction about how I imagine Christmas at Abel.





	Christmas at Abel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [runnerzero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/runnerzero/gifts).



> I have been inspired by the Secret Santa on Tumblr this year where I wanted to participate at first... Okay, now I´m a little late, but here comes my contribution that I want to dedicate to all the talented fellow Fives on Tumblr, like @runnerzero, @theonlyconstantinlife, @thewondersmith, @mousecarter42...
> 
> No Spoilers, but mention of buildings that appear later in the game inside the app and names of side caracters, but without mentioning their stories.

Today is Christmas at Abel. It is not the Christmas that it used to be before, but it means a lot to the residents. Most people try to do their best to make it a nice holiday season for everyone. This is the time of the year when everybody thinks most about their former lifes, about their families, about their homes, about their costumes, about their traditions. These days, most people have heavier thoughts and feelings, but at the same time they move closer together. They bethink of communal life and of mutual help and support.  
  
Yes, there are people that are suffering more than others from the pain of their losses and therefore don’t want to celebrate at all. They try to ignore the preparations and pretend not to participate. Five sometimes is one of those. Five loved Christmas before the apocalypse with their family and tries so hard not to think of it, that they plunge into hard work as usual. But there are Five’s friends. There is Sam with his never-ending optimism and cheering jokes. Sam with his Santa-Clause-pullover. Sam, trying to get as much gingerbread as possible. There is Jody with a nearly light happiness that infects sometimes even Five. Jody, knitting red and green striped socks for everyone. There is Sara, of course. She has far more serious and subtle ways to show Five the parts of life that are still worth living for. Sometimes it is just a glance she darts at Five, a warm smile in the common room, and sometimes it is her support on runs, the talks about projects, about finding a way to end this all. Janine is not really into big celebrations, but she understands what it means for Abel. Christmas gives people hope in this post-apocalyptic world. It gives them hold in this unsteady time. Warmth in the cold. Light in the darkness. Not celebrating Christmas would mean to give up. It would mean to let the evil win. It would mean to get lost in heavy thoughts, to wallow in self-pity. Janine is not going to let that happen. She wants to send a message. We are not giving up. We are still humans. We are going to find a cure. We have a future. We are caring for each other and bring the light of the living against the undead. We are not letting the darkness overwhelm us and not going to let the evil forces win. These are her words in the briefing of the runners at the beginning of December when they are instructed to search for presents for the Abel residents. These are the words that convince Five in the end. These are the words she directs today to every resident in her Christmas speech. So yes, there is a Christmas Message in the apocalypse. No, it is not from the Queen. It is from the Minister of Recovery read out to the people in the communities by their leaders who add their own words.  
  
Yes, there is a big celebration in the main square of Abel in front of Janine’s farmhouse on Christmas Day. And there is a huge Christmas tree. There has always been a big majestic fir in the central place of the township. No, it is not decorated classically with red balls and golden stars and an electric chain of lights and whatever else Christmas tree decorations people had before the apocalypse. Even paper is a rare good nowadays that is needed urgently for research and in school. Now, children have decorated the tree with everything they have found and have created ornaments made of every available material. So there are shining chains of bottle caps, straw stars, cotton-wool-balls, painted pine-cones, wire-animals and much more. During the celebrations, they are lighting a few candles at the tips of the fir.  
  
Yes, there are Christmas carols. The melodies and lyrics keep being unforgotten. The choir of Abel has rehearsed the most famous songs and is now singing them in front of the tree and a lot of people are joining them with a warm feeling around their hearts.  
  
Yes, they have found mistletoes in the woods. Indeed, they have found so much, that they have hung up a little sprig over the doorway of each house, each cabin and even each tent.  
  
No, there are no extended shopping tours through overfull city centres trying to get the gifts in time. No, there is also no possibility for online shopping anymore. No amazon wish-lists, no easy online payment, no fast shipping with the post. But yes, there are still wish-lists. At the beginning of December, the residents of Abel have written their wishes on the public notice blackboard so that the runners could have a quick glance at them before their missions. As long as it has been only a small detour or a not too risky extra tour, the runners have taken what they could find and carry on their usual missions in the weeks before Christmas. Everything is labelled with a name and collected in the main storage building. Happily, Jody comes around one day with a few rolls of gift-wrapping paper, but otherwise they wrap everything in old newspapers, in pieces of cloths they use again afterwards for different purposes or in whatever boxes they can find.  
  
Very early in the morning on Christmas Day, Francesca and Rajit put all the gifts under the tree and after Janine’s Message and the singing of the Christmas carols, everyone unwraps a present. There is an anti-ageing night-cream for Beatrix Ramsey, a warm scarf for Jody, a candle-making craft kit for Francesca, a few books for Ed Harrison, a doll with buggy for Molly, a toy fire engine for Carena, a picnic basket for Bella Ramsey, a 193-peace kit for a ball track with looping for Eugene, an artificial fire for the table for Jack, a set of vitamin pills and energy bars for Simon, a glowing in the dark cushion, two jars of Marmite, seven Curley-Wurleys and a Jedi cape-towel for Sam (yes, he has a lot of friends), a hot stone therapy pack for Owen, a big set of afternoon teas for Janine, a few role playing action figures with paintings and pincels for Maxine and much more.  
  
After that, they have a festive meal in the canteen. They have wild meat with mashed potatoes, red cabbage and peas. Yes, they have still masses of tinned peas, chickpeas, tomatoes, mushrooms and so on, and they are growing their own vegetables. In December they have mostly kale, purselane and stored roots. But no, there is no Tiramisu, no Sauce Bernaise, no Sushi, no Raclette and no sausages. Somehow, nutrition has become healthier in the apocalypse, because there is more “real” food and less processed food products.  
  
When it turns dark, Five takes a walk over the grounds alone. Past the hospital, the training area, the playground, the orchard, the weather station. At the bike shed, there are a few kids hanging around, some of them actually smoking, others making around. Five passes by quickly. Well, the kids need a place to hang around, don’t they? Behind the concert arena and the dive training area, there is a nice little pond. Five likes to come here to think and calm down now and then. During the way, they hear footsteps behind them, but decide not to turn around, as it is for sure yet another walker. Now this person gets really close. Five stays very still and waits for the person to pass by. But instead, suddenly, they feel an arm around their shoulders. Five flinches, but it is only Sara. Relieved, Five smiles at her and relaxes again. Sara is wearing her new leather gloves, but takes them off now to take Five’s hand. “What do you think, Five? It’s been a nice day after all, hasn’t it? Do you like your new backpack? The old one was quite worn off already….” Five smiles and nods and leans in closer into Sara. Together they stand there for a while, watching the little waves on the pond and having both their very own Christmas thoughts.


End file.
